The comrades smiled at Hamid’s honor / a name with Samandarian and the village

Theater News Base: Hamid Labkhandeh is a lasting figure among the people of culture and art who recently passed away. On the evening of Friday, February 22nd, a number of friends, colleagues and activists in the fields of cinema, theater and television gathered at the Bagh-e-Kitab Theater and Music Campus to talk about their traveling friend and to honor his memory.

Many familiar faces were seen in this ceremony, which Hamid Labkhandeh caused to attend this ceremony; Ebrahim Haghighi, Akbar Zanjanpour, Iraj Rad, Ehteram Boroumand, Hassan Fathi, Ismail Afifa, Amin Tarakh, Manouchehr Shahsavari, Mohammad Ali Sajjadi, Ali Dehkordi, Masoud Keramati, Hossein Kiani, Lily Rashidi, Ali Asghar Dashti, Saeed Dakh, Massoud Dashtar , Mostafa Ahmadi, Atosa Ghalamfarsai, Kaveh Samandarian, Ali Pouyan, Rahman Seifiazad, Alireza Tabesh, Shahram Gilabadi, Atabak Naderi.

Ali Dehkordi, not as a performer, but as a friend and artist who started his career in the series “October and Moon” directed by Hamid Labkhandeh, started the ceremony and performed it.

He reminded: “I am sorry that one of the teachers of professional honor and ethics passed away from us and it is a real consolation for me and others that we stay and lose these ethical figures.”

Then Ibrahim Haghighi, one of Hamid Labkhandeh’s old comrades, appeared on stage and recounted many memories of Labkhandeh. “I am happy to have happy memories of good people,” he said. I do not have any bad memories of Hamid Labkhandeh.

Referring to his acquaintance with Hamid Labkhandeh in 1350 and the collaborations they had with each other in the field of art and the sincere friendship that had formed between them, he continued: Hamid and I were with Hamid Samandarian and the plays he performed. When I went to Amirkabir Publications, I designed the cover of the books of Ahmad Mahmoud, who was Hamid’s uncle, and we even went to this great author with Hamid and asked his permission to make a film based on one of his works.

Haghighi continued by mentioning his shared memories with Hamid Labkhandeh: When I went abroad to study, I trusted Hamid so much that I gave all my money to him so that Hamid could send me money every month. I have happy memories of Hamid smiling. We had fun nights together in film and theater. When Hamid Samandarian started Restaurant 141, Hamid Labkhandeh was the assistant of Samandarian and Homa Rousta and worked in the restaurant. Hamid Samandarian also sat behind the door and constantly made money because he did not take food money from artists who were not well-off. When Kaveh was born, Hamid Labkhandeh took care of Kaveh like a father because of the labor conflicts between Hamid Samandarian and Homa Rousta.

The prominent graphic, cinema and theater artist stated: Hamid Samandarian passed away in longing for the performance of “Galileo”. I remember he started the rehearsals of “Galileo” and Hamid Labkhandeh and I were with him, but after a while the rehearsals stopped and the longing for a brilliant performance in the Iranian theater remained in our hearts.

He stated that Hamid Labkhandeh created brilliant works when he went to make the series, adding: “After Hamid Samandarian’s death and together with Homa Rousta, he took over the management of Samandarian School.” When Corona closed the school and I told Hamid Labkhandeh to make a series and a movie, but he told me that all the scripts he submitted were rejected.

Haghighi emphasized at the end of his speech: Hamid Labkhandeh had strange eyes that his kindness and sadness could be seen in his eyes. He was friends for many years and his friendship was pure.

Akbar Zanjanpour, a prominent figure in cinema, theater and television, also spoke about Hamid Labkhandeh’s old comrades in memory of his old friend. He reminded at the beginning of his speech: Man at different ages, from childhood to adolescence, from youth to middle age and old age, his appearance has nothing to do with what is inside him and this appearance and interior are constantly changing. Eventually, when a person arrives at the cemetery, only one name remains, which others talk about and judge.

He stated: “From the day I saw Hamid smiling, he was a lovely young man, and Hamid did not change at all during the years we were friends, but he was perfect, and this showed his great personality.”

Following the memorial service for Hamid Labkhandeh, Ali Dehkordi mentioned memories of smiling and also the characteristics of this late artist. In this part, he also invited Iraj Rad to appear on stage and talk about Hamid Labkhandeh.

Iraj Rad, stating that the presence of all the people who attended the ceremony is from the heart and not a duty because Hamid Labkhandeh was a lovable person, emphasized: Hamid Labkhandeh was a myth of honor. If the artist does not have human dignity, he can not affect the society and the soul of human beings. Hamid Labkhandeh’s ability, precise look and honor made everyone like his butterfly with love and affection. I never saw the anger of a smile except when the right was lost. Cultural and artistic issues were valuable to him. If we regret it, it is because an honorable man with a pure heart passed away.

Then, Mohammad Ali Sajjadi, a writer and cinema director, and another long-time friend and comrade of Hamid Labkhandeh also appeared on stage and mentioned his shared memories with Labkhandeh. He further reminded: The beautiful relationship between a teacher and a very beautiful student was between Hamid Samandarian and Hamid Labkhandeh, which is really exemplary. Hamid Samandarian always remembered his teacher. The teacher-student relationship between Samandarian and Smile was a dynamic one, and Smile had a creative relationship with his teacher.

He emphasized: Hamid Labkhandeh was not a fan. One of the characteristics of Hamid, along with the honor of his work, was that he was far from noisy. The character was with a secretary. He was even quiet in choosing his grave. The news of Hamid Pataki’s death was on my head and I still do not believe it.

Sajjadi then recited a poem he had written for a smile.

Hossein Kiani, a playwright and theater director and one of Hamid Samandarian’s students, who worked as a teacher at Samandarian School and had a close friendship and collaboration with the living memory of Hamid Labkhandeh, was another guest on stage to talk about Hamid Labkhandeh. In this section, he read a note about Hamid Labkhandeh.

Ali Dehkordi also read a note from Hossein Atefi, another longtime friend of Hamid Labkhandeh.

Then Mohammad Rasoul Sadeghi, President of the Theater Critics and Writers Association, who has a history of managing public relations in various art centers, including the Cinema Organization and the Farabi Cinema Foundation, and was a living friend of Hamid Labkhandeh, also spoke about the late artist. He said: “During the years I was in cinema management, we tried to make one of the screenplays that Hamid Labkhandeh wrote with Asghar Abdollahi, but he was constantly confronted by various councils and I longed for Hamid Labkhandeh to make another film.”

He emphasized: Hamid Labkhandeh was a healthy and highly literate human being. Unfortunately, Hamid smiled, think of the living.

At the invitation of Ali Dehkordi, Manouchehr Shahsavari was another figure who appeared on stage to tell Hamid Labkhandeh that he had been friends and collaborators with him for many years. I am here as Hamid’s friend and I think maybe I was one of the people who worked with him the most. My friendship with Hamid was formed by Hamid Samandarian and Homa Rousta.

He reminded: It is strange that everyone who talked about Hamid Labkhandeh also mentioned Homa Rousta and Hamid Samandarian. Here I must say goodbye to Ahmad Aghalo, who was a smiling friend of Hamid.

Shahsavari emphasized: Hamid comes from a lineage that we desperately need. In the non-existent situation, all human identities and professions are lost, but Hamid had all identities such as kindness, commitment and honor. It was not noisy, it was textual and it did not need a margin. Margin is for those who are not creative and do not have knowledge. Hamid was a pillar and his shoulder was under any broken wall.

In the final part of the ceremony, Nima Labkhandeh, the living son of Hamid Labkhandeh, appeared on the stage and, while thanking and thanking those present at the ceremony, recited a short poem to her father, which expressed the warmth she felt from saying goodbye to her father.

In this ceremony, clips from different periods of the artistic activity of the living memory of a smile were played as an actor, director and teacher, and Sardar Sarmast, pianist, and Anahita Izadi Parsa, cellist, performed musical pieces.